via IO9 by way of the Smithsonian
My money is on the snake. Ambush predators are plain tough to beat.
My money is on the snake. Ambush predators are plain tough to beat.
Recently, we have seen yet again, a US government report on the life cycle costs of the F-35 fleet from a 55 year perspective!
One could ask a simple question: what has mandated this question and why are they not fired?
There are many questions one can ask in life but wondering about the lifecycle costs of combat systems 55 years in the future is not one of them.
There can only be one purpose of posing this question: to come up with a PR number to club the program.
But analytically, we should laugh this effort off of the stage. Simply to pose the question should be met with ridicule, disdain or perhaps sorrow.
To give perspective, let us imagine that our predecessors had been so stupid or irrelevant. Let us go back in time – 55 years ago – and pretend that we are GAO analysts being tasked to look at the life cycle costs of weapon systems by the year 2012. (Hard to imagine President Eisenhower not calling such folks up to the White House for a barbecue, and not to eat ribs).
Production fly away cost
F-35A = $83.4 million ((£52 million))
F-35B = $108.1 million ((£67 million))
F-35C = $93.3 million ((£58 million))
The 820th is different from other Security Forces Groups in that it is not on a rotational schedule also known as Air Expeditionary Force (AEF). The concept of the 820th BDG is to have a high operations tempo and be ready to deploy to any location at a moment's notice for extended periods of time. Falling under the 820th is the combat operations squadron. Medics, engineers, and communication specialists all fall under the 820th COS.The highlighted portion indicates that this unit is as close as is possible (within the USAF's force structure) to a version of a combined arms task force. Of course you add in the fact that these guys are going to be protecting and theoretically receiving support from high performance jet aircraft and you're cooking with gas.
There are many different Army and non-Army schools 820th airmen may attend, to include: Airborne, Pathfinder, Special Reaction Team, the Close Precision Engagement Course (CPEC), Ranger, Air Assault, Raven, Raven B UAV, Army Sniper, and EMT. Since its activation in 1997, the 820 BDG has deployed in support of Operations Desert Safeside, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Bright Star. It has deployed to locations such as Iraq, Djibouti, Cairo, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Hurricane Katrina (New Orleans), Haiti, and Pakistan.
by Dave Zyga, Captain, U.S.M.C. Mar 30, 2012I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you're probably not going to get huge if your lifestyle includes sleeping in a different location every day.
The best you can reasonably hope for is maintaining what you have and bulking when you get a chance back at the FOB (Forward Operating Base).
Training - Muscle Gain
So, where's the gym around here? What, there isn't one? What do I do now?!
Make your own gym! You have to make adjustments to your training routine, but creativity can save you. Slow-tempo and plyometric bodyweight exercises may not be ideal for bulking, but can still offer enough stimulus to prevent catabolism for a few weeks.
When you're looking for something heavier or for different movements, there's no requirement that you must lift only a dumbbell or barbell.
If you have a vehicle or aircraft nearby, many have handholds, stowage bars, or horizontal surfaces you can grab. Use these for pull-ups (or partials) and bodyweight rows. If you're lucky enough to have a set of rings, a body suspension system or cargo straps, you can add bodyweight biceps curls, triceps extensions, bodyweight flyes and dips.
Resistance bands are a great investment! They're small, portable and accommodate an array of exercises to keep your sinew occupied.
A full 5-gallon water jug weighs approximately 45 pounds and has a convenient handle at the top. Too heavy? Drink a few gallons! Ammo cans full of sand weigh about 30 pounds. Use these for lateral raises, bent-over rows, biceps curls, overhead extensions, or for just about any exercise a kettlebell works for.
Boulders, logs and sandbags come in just about any weight you can imagine, both standard and metric. Biceps curls and overhead military presses are some obvious exercise choices, but don't limit yourself.
Tata Motors unveiled at DefExpo 2012 the Micro Bullet-Proof Vehicle (MBPV), a small vehicle jointly developed by VRDE-DRDO and TataI don't know if this is innovative or just plain crazy. Either way its interesting.
Motors, responding to new requirements set by the Indian elite commando forces (NSG, Marine Commandos, Para Battalions & Force One). The vehicle provides assault teams with protected mobility solutions, assisting operations indoors.
According to Tata Motors, commando units that have fought insurgents, terrorists and engaged in hostage situations in urban areas have raised the need for gaining protected mobility. Tata designed the MBPV for such indoor combat in mind, offering width, wheelbase and four-wheel steering enabling access and maneuvering indoors. High power-to-weight ratio enables fast and agile movement across obstacles, including climbing stairs. Ballistic protection panels and armored transparent windows provide protection for the combat teams, while firing ports enable effective retaliatory action.
It remains to be seen if elite units will actually ‘buy’ this solution…